Philosophers are Employable! – employability attributes and

academic disciplines

Val Butcher, Higher Education Academy

and Claire Rees, University of York

What are Student Employability Profiles?

In 2002, Peter Forbes and Bianca Kubler undertook a consultancy for CIHE: Employer Perceptions of Subject Benchmark Statements. The report examines employers' perceptions about the skills developed through undergraduate study and how far these skills are reflected in the QAA benchmark statements produced for English, Engineering and Hospitality, Tourism and Sport – to give a range of disciplines.

What are Student Employability Profiles?

Four years later, in September 2006, Peter and Bianca completed a huge research project for CIHE, The Higher Education Academy, and Graduate Prospects covering all the 56 QAA Benchmark statements (including a separate version for Scotland). Two “versions “ were published, with separate introductions for higher education practitioners and for employers.It is essential that the hard copies are read in conjunction with the appropriate web-sites:

CIHE: http://www.cihe-uk.com/publications.php Academy: http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/profiles.htm

What is in Student Employability Profiles?

• Evidence from QAA benchmark statements of the work related attributes developable through study of a particular subject

• Summary of knowledge taught

• Skills mapped against competencies identified by the Council for Industry and Higher Education (CIHE) as ones that help transform organisations

• Glossary of terms

How were Student Employability Profiles developed?

• The profiles were developed by identifying the employability skills recorded in the QAA subject benchmark statements.

• There followed a process of consultation with Academy Subject Centre staff for each subject so as to reach agreement on the content and style of the profiles such that they would be useful to academics in developing and executing their learning and teaching programmes.

• Panels of employers were consulted and subsequently, versions of the profiles were written for the benefit of employers.

Higher Education Academy Subject Network

Medicine,Dentistry andVeterinaryscience

Bioscience HealthSciences andPractice

Social workand Socialpolicy

Sociology,Anthropologyand Politics

PhysicalSciences

Engineering Psychology Geography,Earth andEnvironmentalSciences

Materials Education inthe BuiltEnvironment

Maths,Statistics andOperationalResearch

Informationand ComputerSciences

Economics LegalEducation

Languages,Linguistics andAreas Studies

English History,Classics andArcheology

Philosophicaland ReligiousStudies

Art, Design andCommunication

PerformingArts

Hospitality andLeisure Studies

Business,ManagementandAccountancy

Education

What are “Employability Skills?”

• Employers in the CIHE Policy Forum identified the following, and it is against these that the benchmark statements are mapped.

• These competencies are (and no list is definitive): Cognitive skills - problem solving and information handlingGeneric competencies - communication, influencing, organisation

and interpersonal skillsPersonal capabilities - desire for self improvement, initiativeTechnical abilityBusiness or organisation awarenessPractical and professional skills - continuous professional

development.

Student Employability Profiles

• Inform curriculum design

• Support delivery of career development learning

• Enhance understanding of prospective students and their parents as to the value of higher level study

• Facilitate effective communication with employers, especially non-cognate

Supporting Career Development Learning

“Career development learning is concerned with helping students acquire knowledge, concepts, skills and attitudes which will equip them to manage their careers, i.e. their lifelong progression in learning and work”

Watts, A.G. (2006) Career Development Learning and Employability, Learning and Employability Series. York: Higher Education Academy

Mode of Material Usage

Materials led

Adaptation

Design

Materials Led

Skills and Attributes Map

Personal Development Planning

mock interviews

Reflective Questions

Personal Development Planning

mock interviews

Adaptation

Skills and attributes map

self-assessment grid

role analysis exercise

Glossary of competencies

defining the nature of competencies

feedback form for observing assessments

Design

Skills and Attributes map

Visualisation - what are the skills and competencies which a ‘skilled graduate’ from their degree course might possess